A pioneer in terms of debates related to responsible practices in tourism, WTM Latin America has announced the 15 finalists for the Responsible Tourism Award 2023. The award is part of WTM’s Global Responsible Tourism Awards and is commemorating its third edition in Latin America with the purpose of publicly recognising the most inspiring and replicable initiatives in sustainable and responsible tourism, with the main goal being to promote positive changes throughout the entire travel and tourism industry.
In addition to the recognition for their initiatives, the finalists’ reputations get a boost and they also benefit in terms of learning, bearing in mind that they take their business to another level and are given feedback by experts, in addition to having access to the segment’s main trends. The 66 entries came from a number of Latin American countries and were initially assessed by the 18 professionals who make up the jury for the third edition of WTM Latin America’s Responsible Tourism Award.
Made up of renowned Latin American professionals from different areas – travel agents, operators, association leaders, public authorities, journalists and opinion makers – the jury takes a number of aspects into account in order to determine the finalists and, subsequently, the winners in six different categories. The main criteria are originality, potential for replication and the possibility of measuring the impacts achieved as a result of the proposed solution.
“The progress in the quality of the candidates for this award is quite remarkable. From the number of applications to the data presented, proving that the Latin American tourist trade is increasingly taking responsibility for the impact that it is having on destinations and communities and contributing to the sustainable development of our sector. The 15 finalist projects that we have here are original and replicable. We are proud to be able to bring such inspiring cases to light,” says Gustavo Pinto, WTM Latin America’s advisor and the Award’s coordinator.
The 15 finalists are from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. From these groups the winners will be announced, on April 4, on the stage of the Explore Transformation theatre, and awarded with the Gold, Silver and One to Watch Awards.
In alphabetical order, the finalists in this edition are as follows: Diáspora. Black (Brazil), Equatur (Ecuador), the government of the department of Antioquia (Colombia), the State of Mato Grosso do Sul’s Tourism Foundation (Brazil), La Union Coffee Farm (Colombia), Las Torres Patagonia (Chile), Pipa Convention Bureau (the State of Rio Grande do Norte/Brazil), Quinti Ecuador (Ecuador), Raízes Desenvolvimento Sustentável (Brazil), Rede BATUC – Community Tourism of the State of Bahia (Brazil), Rota do Enxaimel (Pomerode – in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil), Say Hueque (Argentina), Sebrae Maranhão (Brazil), Toca do Kainã (Santo Antonio do Jardim – the State of Sao Paulo/Brazil) and Wilderness Patagonia (Argentina).
